Have you ever though how much you can learn from a day in a museum?
Well, I’m here to share with you the marvels I found in Villa Borghese, along with their stories.
Follow me down this thread to a world of myth and divine inspiration:
Apollo and Daphne by Bernini; the sculpture depicts the climax of the Greek myth of Apollo and Daphe, as the nymph escapes Apollo's advances by transforming into a laurel tree.
Can you see the dynamic movement? Can you see her transforming?
Zoom In.
Venus Victrix, meaning Aphrodite the victorious; she holds an apple in her hand evoking her victory in the Judgement of Paris, which caused the Trojan War.
Can you see the winner’s arrogance in her posture?
Speaking of the Trojan War, here’s Aeneas and Anchisses. The Trojan hero Aeneas, is carrying his old father after the fall of Troy.
Myth wants him to have founded Rome.
Can you see the strength in the body of the son carrying the fickle body of his father?
Intermission: just a couple of little angels looking at you at the gate arc.
Just another one of this breathtaking ceilings. This scene depicts the Greek myth of Phaethon, son of Helius - the Sun.
The boy took his fathers chariot, carrying the Light but, after many complaints, from the stars in the sky to the Earth herself, Zeus strikes Phaethon with one of his lightning bolts, killing him instantly.
David preparing to launch his projectile against Goliath; this is the biblical story depicting David determined to win this fight for his life.
Another masterpiece of Bernini.
Can you see the determination in his facial expression? Zoom in!
And I saved the best fo last; Persephone’s abduction by Hades, also by Bernini.
This tragic scene depicts Hades, king of the underworld, abducting Persephone? Daughter of Demeter, Goddess of agriculture and nature. This Ancient Greek myth was used to explain the seasonal changes, as a deal was struck among the gods: Persephone would spend half a year above the ground with her mother (spring and summer) and half the year below (autumn and winter).
They ended up happily married.
Can you see her tears? Zoom in!
All photos are mine, from my travel diaries.
If you liked the stories, please share and spread the word. Our fellow humans need to see what our species is capable of.
A final shot of the three-headed good boy, Cerberus. I bet you don’t encounter this angle often.
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This was a Greek warrior’s helmet; he took it with him in his grave.
Here’s the short story.. 🧵
I visited the Thessaloníki archeological museum, in Macedonia, northern Greece, where I had the chance to enjoy an exhibition dedicated to Macedonians, the Greek guardians of the North.
They had awesome replicas of siege machines and weapons, like this marine siege tower, the likes of which Alexander employed to take Tyre.
The ancients found passageways to another world; 3-headed beasts and ominous ferrymen made sure those dark realms stayed forbidden. And yet, there were some entry points.
Would you like to know where Underworld's Gates were?
In Greek lore, the Underworld isn’t just one spot; it’s a sprawling realm beneath the earth, ruled by Hades, the stern god of the dead (not an evil figure but more of a dark landlord). The "gates" aren’t a single structure but serve as a conceptual threshold.
They were guarded by Cerberus, the monstrous three-headed dog. He’s the ultimate bouncer and makes sure that souls don’t escape.
Heroes like Orpheus, who charmed him with music to sneak past, or Heracles, who wrestled him during his Twelve Labors, are rare exceptions.
While the world is changing and with the US “new sherif in town”, some unelected bureaucrats and irrelevant weirdos met to give a new meaning to the world “bad actors”.
Why Europe is becoming a dystopian failing region and why Greece might be the ultimate loser.. a short 🧵
While it seems that some weirdos met today to agree on irrelevant statements that no one cares about (regarding “European”) security, it seems that they invited the countries with the most significant defense capabilities.
We can see French, English, Polish, Germans, Italians and some others but they forgot the country on the edge of Europe: Greece.
The same country with one of the largest standing armies and highest defense budgets in the union.
Have you ever observed the Imperial Monograms of Hagia Sophia?
In Hagia Sophia, there are 140 monolithic columns which were brought from different places of the world.. 🧵
These columns signify Byzantium’s regal Hellenic heritage; 8 are porphyry (which form Ancient Greek times signified regal status - even Alexander wore a purple cloak) and another 8 were brought by the Ancient Greek temple of Ephesus.
The capital of the columns are carved like acanthus and palm leaves and have monograms of imperial family members in Greek language. None of the columns is identical.
I visited the Archeological Museum of Thessaloníki in Macedonia, Northern Greece.
I explored the exhibition “Gold of Macedonians” and I saw some of the most exquisite shards of beauty I have ever seen.. 🧵
The collection contained pieces of immense beauty showcasing how proficient ancient Greeks were in crafting tools and jewelry; here we have female golden accessories.
Of course, we had the well-known golden wreaths of ancient Greeks, showcasing the level of craftsmanship Macedonians achieved. You can see details like little oaks, leaves and flowers; pause the video to see it.
We all know a tale with a scary wolf; in such tales we hear about terrible beasts that terrorize villages and eat children. But what if I told you that one of those stories is actually true?
I have a story of a werewolf that forced the French king to mobilize his army..🧵⤵️
The tale of the Beast of Gévaudan is one steeped in terror, mystery, and historical intrigue, set against the backdrop of rural 18th-century France.
This is historically documented and the terror this beast caused, forced the French king to mobilize the army to hunt it down.
In the mid-1760s, the forested region of Gévaudan, in southern France, was a place where life was hard with isolated villages, surrounded by dense woods. It was the perfect stage for a tale that would haunt the collective memory of France.